Container and shipping package



Feb. 28, 1933. T. CRAWFORD CONTAINER AND SHIPPING PACKAGE Filed April12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet THOMAS CRAWFORD INVENTOR BY MZ 4- lll ATTORNEY;

Feb. 28, 1933.

CONTAINER AND SHIPPING PACKAGE Filed April 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Fig- 4 V ,5

THOMAS CRAWFORD INVENTOR BY/W i ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 28, 1933 .UNITEDSTATES THOMAS CRAWFORD, F BRISTOL, ENGLAND CUNTAINER AND SHIEEINGPACKAGE Application filed April 12, 1932, Serial No. 604,718, and inGreat Britain March I have filed an application in Great Britain,

March 26,1931.

This invention relates to knock-down boxes N for containing ordisplaying various objects, such as confectionery, etc.

The main object of the invention is to'provide a box of the characterindicated which will serve to contain and protect the goods for storageand transport and also to display the goods when desired.

it is a further object to provide box having separable walls, which can.easily be removed leaving the contents supported only by the bottom ofthe box, which then serves as a display tray. 1

Another object is to provide a box which is built up of separable partsand which may be readily assembled.

A further object is to provide such a box which may contain atransparent innercover revealing the contents upon removal of the lidand side walls.

it is also an object of my invention to provide a box withinterchangeable walls where opaque wall members may be replaced bytransparent wall members.

It may be stated, on the other hand, that it is likewise an object ofthe invention to combine the present box or container with the contentsin an efficient arrangement to form a compact and new shipping package.

Further objects and various advantages inherent in my invention willbecome apparout as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereoi2- Figure l is aperspective view of the box embodying my invention when assembled incondition for stora e or transport;

Figure 2 is another view of the same box L alter the lid and the sidewalls have been removed in order to display the contents,

showing the inner transparent cover; a Figure 3 is a view showing afragmentary portion of the box and the inner transparent cover in crosssection;

Figure l is a perspective view of the box with the lid and two sidewalls removed;

and

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the built stack ofconfectioneries or the like.

bottom or tray with supplementary transparent walls fitted thereto.

Throughout the views the same reference numeralsindicate the same orcorresponding parts. I

The present practice of manufacture is to use a more or less rigid boxconsisting of a bottom and four sides, all united together, and having alid either loose or hinged thereto. For display purposes shopkeepersfrequently remove the confectionery, cake or similar contents from theseboxes and build them up on their counters or in their windows in layerswith cardboard between, or in trays, or on display stands. This methodinvolves, of course, much handling of the goods besides entailing laborcosts. My invention has been designed particularly with a view to removethese disadvantages and to make the box more sanitary.

In the practice of my invention the pieces of chocolate or otherconfectionery 9, are packed in the box generally indicated at l, the lid6 and sides 3 and 41; of which can be removed so that the contents maybe disclosed l5 for display purposes, resting on the bottom, generallyindicated at 2 of the box. The box bottom then forms a tray supporting asolidly The prospective purchaser will thus be able to get an immediateview of the contents through the entire depth of the box and also thecross section of some solid contents, such as a cake an the like. Ti thebox is used for chocolates and the like, the same may be packed 5 inlayers separated, if desired, by partitions 8 of papier-mach or. thelike, and, when the lid and sides are then removed, a solidly builtstack of chocolates, neatly arranged in layers will be displayed. Adisplay of the goods is thus efi'ected with but little expenditure oftime by the shopkeeper. Supplementary walls 10 and 11 (Figure 5) oftransparent material, such as celluloid and the like if desired may besubstituted for the usually opaque original walls in order to enclosethe contents at the fully visible and same time rendering them also giveadditional support to the stack of contents at the sides when theseopaque walls have been removed. The contents may also phane or other beenveloped by a removable cover 7 of Cellotransparent material extendingdown over the sidesof the contents before placing them in the box andwill thus be protected from handling and from dust and dirt and be readyfor immediate display when the lid and sides of the box are removed.

Except as regards the supplementary transparent walls, which may consistof glass, celluloid or other suitable material, the box may be made ofany of he material commonly used, e. g., strawboard, woodpulp or thelike. The side walls, constituting a frame, are preferably composedintwo pieces, with overlapping flanges 5 at two of the corners, or theframe may be made of separate pieces corresponding to the shape of thebox, each piece being of a depth to engage both the bottom and lid ofthe box.

The transparent supplementary walls in a square box are preferably madein four pieces, the two of which forming opposing walls may be rovidedwith flanges 12 at each corner in or er to support the other two sidepieces.

The transparent frame may also consist of pieces jointed at several orall corners;

The side walls may engage the periphery of the bottom member or displaytrayv in any suitable manner, by means of flanges, grooves,

etc.

To assemble or pack the box the frame is placed in position on thebottom tray. The chocolates or other confectionery are then packedinside the frame, in layers if suitable, in any known manner, and thelid is'then placed on the top of the frame similarly to the bottom. Thelid thus cooperates with the bottom member in retaining the side wallsin assembled relation. The assembly as a whole may be furtherstrengthened by tying a string around the box, or wrapping it in paper.etc. When the chocolates are to be sold, the lid is removed, the framelifted away, and the contents are displayed resting on the bottom tray.The transparent walls may then be placed in position to preventaccidental displacement of any of the contents without detracting in anyway from their general presentation or display.

In the embodiment illustrated herein, the bottom indicated at 2 ispreferablyprovided with flanges 2', which serve .to retain the sidewalls 3 and 4 in position. This bottom serves as a tray when the lid 6and the side walls 3 and 4 are removed. The two side walls -3 and 4, asshown in Figured consist of a strip bent at 13 to form one corner of thebox, and also bent at 14 to form a lug or flange 5 at another corner ofthe box. The other two side walls consist of a strip bent 'in preciselythe sameway. Each strip therefore constitutes an end and either thefront or back of the box the strips being interchangeable. The two.strips are set up on the bottom or tray, 'within its flanges 2',

with the wall flanges 5 at diametrically opposite corners, one end ofeach strip engaging within the angle made by the flange 5 of the otherstrip. The lid 6 has a construction similar to that of the bottom. Theflanges 6 engage the upper edges of the walls 3 and 4 and cooperate withthe flanges 2 of the bottom to retain said walls against the contents. Atransparent removable cover all sides to the bottom of the box asillustrated in Figure 2. Chocolates 9 are packed in layers, separated,if desired, by partitions 8. The supplementary transparent side walls 10and 11 of celluloid or the like when these are used are set up on thebottom in place of the removed walls 3 and'4. The shorter walls 10 havecorner flanges 12, which hold the longer walls 11.

It is manifest that variations in theabove features may be resorted toin order to suit the particular shape of the box.

Having now fully described my invention I claim v 0 1. A combineddisplay tray and container, mcluding the combination of a display traycomprising a bottom member, means for building up said display tray intoa container comprising a plurality of removable wall members eachadapted to engage with the periphery of said bottom member and extendupward therefrom and a removable lid adapte to engage with the upperedges of said wall members and thereby cooperate with said bottom memberin retaining said wall members in assembled condition, said wall membersbeing self supporting and freely exposed at the vertical corner edgesand forming the sole means spacing said lid from said bottom member'andbeing mutually separable and freely removable from the bottom memberupon removal of said lid from off the same.

'2. A combined display tray and container,

including the combination of a display tray comprising a bottom member,means for building up said display tray into a container comprising aplurality of interchangeable wall members each adapted to engage withthe peripher member and extend upward therefrom and a removable lidadapted to engage with the upper edges of said wall members and therebycooperate with said bottom member in retaining said wall members inassembled condition, said wall members being self supporting and freelyexposed at the vertical corner edges and forming the sole means spacingsaid lid from said bottom member and being mutually separable and freelyremovable from the bottom member upon removal of said lid from off thesame.

3. A combined display tray and container, including the combination of adisplay tray and container comprising a flanged bottom member, means forbuilding up said display tray into a container comprising inter- 7 whensuch is used extends upon y of said bottom 7 with said flanged bottommember and ex-' tend upward therefrom, each wall member comprising astrip forming one side and one end of the box, and a removable flangedlid adapted to engage with the upper edges of said wall members andthereby cooperate with said flanged bottom member in retaining said wallmembers in assembled condition, said wall members directly and solelysupporting said lid and bein mutually separable and freely removable 10mwithin the flanged bottom member upon removal of said lid from oil thesame.

4. A combined display tray and container as claimed in claim 3 whereinthe strips forming the side and end walls have overlapping flanges attheir respective unctions.

5. A shipping package, including the combination with contents, of adisplay tray comprising a bottom member, a transparent I removabledisplay cover enveloping said contents and extending down upon all sidestosaid bottom member, and cooperating with said bottom member fordisplay purposes, a plurality of outer removable protectin wall membersenveloping the sides of said transparent cover normally engaging withinthe peripheral edges of said bottom member and a removable lidoverlaying said transparent cover and normally engaging and envelopingthe upper edges 0:? said wall members, said wall members forming thesole exterior means for supporting said lid and being freely removablefrom within the flanged bottom upon removal of the lid from ofi thesame.

6. A shipping package, including the combination with contents; or adisplay tray comprising a "peripherally flanged bottom member, atransparent removable display cover enveloping saidcontents andextending down upon all sides to said bottom memher, and cooperatingwith said bottom mem her for display purposes, means for building upsaid display tray into a container comprising a plurality of removablewall members adapted to envelop said contents and to engage within theperiphery of said flanged bottom member and extend upward therefrom, anda removable peripherally flanged lid adapted to engage with and envelopethe upper edges of said wall members and thereby cooperate with saidbottom member in retaining said wall members in assembled condition,said wall members forming the sole exterror means for supextendingdownwardly upon all sides of said bottom member, and cooperating withsaid bottom member for display purposes, means for building up saiddisplay tray into a container comprising removable wall members adaptedto envelop said contents and to engage within the periphery of saidflanged bottom member and extend upwardly therefrom, a removableperipherally flanged lid adapted to engage with and envelop the upperedges of said wall members and thereby cooperate "with said bottommember in retainingsaid wall members in assembled condition, and-aplurality of separating partitions extending substantially parallel tothe lid and bottom members and adapted for supporting the contents in aplurality of layers, said wall members forming the sole exterior meansfor supporting said lid and being freely removable from within theflanged bottom upon removal of the lid from off the same.

THOMAS CRAWFORD.

porting said lid and being freely removable from within the flangedbottom upon removal of the lid from off the same.

7.. A shipping package comprising the V combination'with contents of adisplay tray comprising a peripherally flanged bottom member, atransparent removable display cover member enveloping said contents

